What He Could Not Say
by merciless-aphrodite
Summary: He knew she understood what he couldn’t say... and that made all the difference. InuKag, One-Shot. Happy Holidays!


**AN: I do not lay any claims as to owning Inu-Yasha. **

**As to the… songfic disguised as a one-shot disguised as a romance… I know it has been done countless of times before, but for the life of me I can't help but take my own shot at it. **

**Do accept this as a Christmas gift of sorts. Merry Christmas… Happy Holidays! **

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One-shot: What He Couldn't Say **

From his perch atop the large tree, Inuyasha lazily opened one eye so that he could survey a large circumference of the forest that was filled with demons, humans, and non-moving organisms alike. But more importantly…

He glanced down and saw that she had placed her sleeping bag right under the shades of the tree. She couldn't possibly know what it meant to him that she trusted him enough to know that he would always, incessantly, be there to protect her. It had become more than a simple promise. He did it because he cared, and he would continue so, no matter if she were in the Feudal Era or the Future.

He jumped down from the steady branch, landing with a graceful elegance that belied his ancestry. Taking soft steps towards her dozing figure, he crouched down when he was within an arm's distance.

_I could stay awake just to hear you breathing_

The gentle rise of her chest showed that she was in peaceful slumber, recovering from the battle a few hours ago.

_Watch you smile while you are sleeping_

Her lips were pursed in a semi-smile even in her sleep. She looked so beautiful, so heavenly, so… Kagome.

_While you're far away and dreaming_

He knew it had to be a good dream from the way she was barely moving. Rarely did she have an opportunity to regain her rest that he was glad for her.

_I could spend my life in this sweet surrender_

Her midnight locks were nonchalantly spread across the shirt that she had wisely rolled up and used as a pillow.

_I could stay lost in this moment, forever_

And he could. Never before has he seen anything as mesmerizing as that of Kagome sleeping, her eyelashes softly brushing the curve of her cheek. He noted the crystalline quietness of the forest, and wryly thought that even Mother Nature was lost in this moment.

_Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure… _

Nothing was so certain as the gaping hole he felt somewhere in his soul when he spent time away from her.

_There's always that one person_

He had always presumed that it would be Kikyo…

_That will always have your heart_

But he knew with a certainty unmatched that Kagome would, and always have, his heart in her hands.

_You'll never see it coming_

He would never have guessed that he would care for the wench as much as he did. He was casually fooled by her accepting gaze, careful ministrations and restrained words.

_Cause you're blinded from the start… _

From the moment she had awakened him from his 50-year slumber, he was blinded by her face, her eyes, her mouth… her likeness to Kikyo.

His clawed hand was already halfway to brush a stray hair from her face when he realized what he was doing. He snatched it away from her vicinity that one would think it burned. Amber eyes raked over her figure for any sign that she would awaken.

She did not.

Slowly, his hand moved again and, so gently that the girl would think it was naught more than a gust of wind, moved it from her face.

His heart constricted when he saw the nasty cut across one cheek, reminding him that she rarely escaped unscathed from an encounter with a demon. Running his hand cautiously over the bumpy ridge, he cursed himself under his breath.

If he had only been faster, stronger, more perfect… less him.

He placed two fingers on his lips, and tenderly transferred them on top of the cut. It wasn't nearly enough, but it was more than he could do when she was awake. From the folds of his haori, he withdrew a small jar containing fragrant-less, slightly yellow ointment that would quicken recovery. Opening the top, he dipped two fingers in and lightly pressed the edges of the cut, spreading the ointment as he did so.

Then he looked up, looking more like a deer caught in headlights than a caring friend.

Between the edges of the hedge that surrounded them, he could see the faint orange glow of the sunrise, and cautiously backed away from the sleeping figure, jumping back onto the steady branch and feigning sleep.

The first tendrils of the early sun had already traveled over her skin and woken her from the deep slumber she was in. Her eyes opened slowly, hand immediately going up to block the bright sun. Her other hand went up to touch the healing cut on her cheek and she realized that it didn't hurt as much as it had before she went to sleep. In fact, it barely hurt, and she realized with a thrill that Inuyasha had once again used the ointment that he had valued above all. An ointment that his own father had used on his mother.

"Hey, Inuyasha," Kagome called out to the hanyou in red, pretending that she didn't know that he was pretending he wasn't awake.

He didn't move but she could see that he was paying attention from the way his adorable ears flicked to her direction.

"Thank you," she beamed.

Inuyasha opened his eyes and glanced down. He rolled his eyes.

"Feh, whatever, bitch," he said.

He could have said 'You're Welcome'. He could've professed his undying devotion. He could've done so much more than a brusque reply.

But from the way her lips curved in a delightful smile, he knew she understood what he couldn't say...

_'I love you.' _

Well, not until the last shard was collected.

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**A/N: Sappiness is officially over... Tell me what you think!—**

**Ps. The two songs used are: **

**1) Aerosmith - I don't want to miss a thing**

**2) Usher feat Alicia Keys - My Boo**


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